BLEACH: Alabaster Remix
by Lycodrake
Summary: Ichigo became a Hollow early on in his life. Now he has an alabaster afterlife... Ichigo/Sun-Sun pairing. On Hiatus.
1. Chapter 1: 6 17 Rain 'n' Lizard

AN: I finally decided to get the guts to start writing this, rather than just brainstorming about it. I give my thanks to Yonda, who motivated me to get going on this Fanfic.

Here is a revised Chapter One! After Yonda's critique of the original that I posted, I decided to redo it just a bit, so that I didn't feel as anxious about how it turned out, and so I could correct mistakes in the grammar and make sure to stay to the plotline that I've made.

Grinja: Thank you for being the first to review on my story! Also, yes, the interaction between Ichigo and Sun-Sun will be fun to write, and hopefully fun to read!

Yonda: Thank you for the review. I really do hope my writing style will improve as I go. Yes, Alex is Ichigo's name from now on within this story. I may or may not give him a last name, though.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. Tite Kubo-sempai does, though.

Chapter One: 6 17 Rain 'n' Lizard

Karakura Town was blanketed in the rain falling from the sky. The atmosphere was miserable, and all residents made it a priority to get home or into shelter as quickly as possible. Two individuals were making their way down a sidewalk on this dreary afternoon. A younger woman with curly orange hair, with her son with spiky orange hair at her side, walked down the sidewalk with the mother holding an umbrella.

To their right, a small stream surged forward from the rainwater it had added to its pace. The two members of the Kurosaki household paid no heed to this, though. Ichigo was happy to be with his mother, the kind of child his friend Tatsuki Arisawa called a "mama's boy". Soon, Ichigo caught a flash of white a short distance from them by the river's edge, his mother unable to notice his shift in attention.

As they moved forward, Ichigo could get a better look at whatever it was down by the river. It seemed like a young child, he couldn't tell whether if it was a boy or a girl, though. It had a white poncho on, and black, straight hair. He blinked, as the child seemed to lean forward, as if it were going to fall into the river. He blinked in shock, and began to run toward the river. Masaki jumped, feeling his hand slip from her own.

Ichigo sprinted as fast as his nine-year-old body would allow, trying to stop the child from dropping into the swollen river. His mother chased after him with abandon, hoping to stop her son from being caught in the river, not seeing who Ichigo was trying to save. Right before he was about to grab part of the child's poncho, he saw an evil glint on its face, a sneering, vile expression. Before Ichigo knew what was going on, he blacked out from a sudden pain.

His hazel eyes opened minutes later, his vision blurry, his thoughts muddled. He flinched as he picked himself up. However, he noticed that he wasn't wearing his raincoat anymore. He looked down, seeing he now wore white, streamlined pants and a shirt that had "15" emblazoned on the front in bold, orange font. In the center, a hexagonal piece of metal lay, with a chain attached.

His vision clearing, he now noticed he was lying on grass. He made his way to sit up, and looked around. He really wished he hadn't…

In front of him, he saw something spawned from the depths of Hell itself. It was a hideous monster. The size of a van or bigger, it had shaggy brown fur, and a large white mask with black markings on its cheekbones, with four reddish-brown limbs at its side. It sat on its haunches crunching on something. Only then did he notice that above its head it had a lure of some sort, with a black and white doll attached to the end.

His eyes went back down to whatever it was eating; against his wishes he saw what it had made into its meal; no, not its meal, its prey.

Its mouth was covered in blood, and it feverishly continued its meal. Ichigo felt the urge to throw up then and there. His mother's body was mutilated on the wet grass in front of the monster. However, he also saw his own body, his mother's corpse protectively covering his own.

He gaped in horror as to what lay before of him, but he cringed as the monster turned its head to look at him, greedy red eyes glowing with malicious intent. It chuckled as it stepped over the corpses, making Ichigo try to back away as quickly as possible.

"Good, you're awake. I'll get straight to the point, brat. Grand Fisher is my title. You and your mom are my meal for the day. I already finished your mother…now it's time for you!" It lunged at him with surprising speed, for all of its seemingly bulky mass. Before Ichigo knew what was going to happen, Grand Fisher caught him in one of its hands, and opened a Garganta.

Neither of them noticed that Ichigo's Chain of Fate had already begun its encroachment stage, the links of the Chain beginning to devour itself.

They landed in the white sands of Hueco Mundo seconds after entering the Garganta. Grand Fisher chuckled to itself, while Ichigo struggled in vain to escape. "Want to know something, brat? You have far more spirit energy than even the most powerful Shinigami I've fought." It tossed Ichigo into a sand dune, making him land painfully into the bleached sand.

He gasped for breath, coughing hard from the shake that his lungs had gotten from the blow. He glared now at Grand Fisher, even as it stalked him. His Chain now had only thirty links.

Grand Fisher dashed forward, intent on impaling Ichigo on its claws. He missed, Ichigo having dodged at the last second. Ichigo didn't, however, dodge being thrashed by Grand Fisher's hair extended out like a whip, catching him in the small of his back. His Chain now had twenty-two links.

Ichigo was thrown once again to the sands by the force, but made a dash to get away. Grand Fisher swiped at him with one clawed hand, then the other. Ichigo flinched as the felt the claws cut through his back, but tried to run farther away. Ichigo now only had nine links in his Chain.

Grand Fisher launched itself in front of Ichigo, and bludgeoned him with swift blows from its lengthened brown hair. There was now only one links left.

Ichigo panted, his spiritual body aching from the pain. He felt nausea kicking in, Grand Fisher was about to catch its prey once again, when it saw the boy's Chain encroach completely. Its red eyes widened as the boy's body began to leak spirit energy. A mix of orange, white, and black spirit energy seeped from his body.

As it did so, his body began to glow a hot white. His spirit energy now was causing the sands around him to churn. Then, as if someone ignited a bomb's fuse, his form exploded into white. Sand blanketed the area as if it were a miniature sandstorm.

Grand Fisher now was having a hard time standing on its feet from the energy blast that had enveloped the area. It tried to peer through the sand, but to no avail.

After a few minutes, the sand cloud began to settle. Grand Fisher was fuming inside its mind. 'I got one good meal today, after many hours, out of that woman. Curse this child…But, I may still be able to eat his Hollow form. After all, Menos are so easy to destroy." It began to move to where he could now make about a blurry form, becoming clearer as the sands settled.

In front of Grand Fisher, Ichigo's Hollow form now crouched.

He looked like a humanoid lizard, muscles streamlined, about five feet tall. His mask was shaped like a skull, with two orange stripes running down from the lower jaw, as if blood were running down the sides. His hair now went down to his shoulders. Around his waist, the same white pants were worn; though the waist and bottoms were torn a bit now. His eyes glowed angry orange within the dark sockets of his mask. His Hollow hole centered within his sternum, as wide as a softball.

However, Grand Fisher was more paying attention to the neo Hollow's claws and tail. His hands and feet now had very sharp claws molded into where would have been his finger or toenails. The tail looked to be a pure white, and made a good addition to the young Hollow's arsenal of melee weapons.

Grand Fisher balked when the neo Hollow's eyes focused solely on it, but then grew angry. "You think you, a little upstart Hollow, can defeat me? I've defeated countless Shinigami for fifty-four years and counting, you little worm." It dashed forward, once again intent on pounding the soul's body into a bloody pulp.

Ichigo's Hollow form didn't allow Grand Fisher to land any kind of hit on him. Instead of hitting him, Grand Fisher landed hard onto the sands. Before it could turn to make another attempt, it had a fist landing into its belly, just below its Hollow hole. The force knocked the air out of Grand Fisher, causing it to wheeze upon impact with one of the many sand dunes, and then another.

Grand Fisher never had a chance to recover, because it felt the young Hollow's dashing forward in its direction, ready to make the final strike. Turning, Grand Fisher was met with orange eyes burning with a vengeance.

In a rasping voice, sounding like a young, sarcastic youth's voice added in with an echo, Ichigo's Hollow spoke, "See you…never, Grand Fisher." He smirked from within his ivory mask, before spearing his clawed hand through Grand Fisher's large mask. The attack speared Grand Fisher's mask first, then the rest of the monstrosity.

"Damn you, brat…" Grand Fisher disappeared into so many dark brown spirit particles. But Ichigo's Hollow didn't need or want to desire to devour them. Instead, he turned around, and began to walk. Stopping, he looked back after he had walked a few feet. He flinched, questioning, "My name…I am…Alex…protector…defender…" Shaking himself out of his reverie, Alex continued to walk farther into the sands of Hueco Mundo.

AN: I hope you all enjoy reading this, and all further chapters that I post for this story. To Yonda, I once again thank you for your encouragement for me to start writing.

Also, I have chapter two nearly done! Should be able to post it the first week of February!

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	2. Chapter 2: Hollow Daze Part One Desert

AN: And here's chapter two! Hope you all enjoy! Thank you to all my readers and especially to my reviewers!

To those who are wondering, I may, emphasis on the '_may_', redo every chapter after I get critique. I haven't decided yet.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. Tite Kubo-sempai does, though.

Chapter One: Hollow Daze Part One – Desierto

Alex began his journey across the sands at a dash, sprinting along sand dunes and finding some form of joy in the speed. However, soon he found himself bored by the pace he had set for himself, and slowed down, his crouching gait remaining.

He ran into a few Hollows along the way, but they were only four regular Menos, nothing very strong. They were generic Hollows, a managerie of shapes and forms that had no true power. He forewent using any spirit energy on such weaklings, and just slashed his way through them when they began to attack.

He began to actually think about what he did know, as he seemed to have his memories wiped out except for a few basic things. 'I know that Grand Fisher, good riddance, ate my mom's soul…I know that I don't know what my name was, other than that it meant the same thing as Alex. I also know how to fight in this form and use Cero, but nothing else, if there _is_ anything else. I know what I am, a Hollow.'

He began to see a few crystalline trees among the sand, now, but he continued thinking. 'I am clearly an Adjuchas…but I don't know how, at all…' He felt spirit energy nearby, coming slowly toward him. He dashed behind one of the larger dunes near him, and waited.

Minutes later, he felt the spirit energy among one of the nearby dunes, and climbed the one he made a vantage point. Orange eyes peering over the edge…

He saw a Hollow that looked like a body builder, a mask reminiscent of some type of wild pig, and hinged protrusions from its back. It seemed to be only a regular Menos, too. 'Interesting build…but what is it supposed to be doing on its own?' It turned its head side to side, as if searching for something.

"Damn, I probably was letting of spirit energy unconsciously as I ran, drawing this one's attention." He was about to attack the lesser Hollow swiftly when he felt a searing heat hit his back, sending him flying. 'Damn…it…'

He landed on a dune directly in front of the porcine Hollow, but leapt up to his feet as soon as he recovered from the pain of the attack that had hit him. 'Was that a Cero or something else?' He looked at his side, checking for a wound. However, what looked like a burn on his side swiftly gave off a wisp of white, the wound healing as the wisp disappeared.

'Was that instant regeneration? Oh, this is going to be good…' He turned back to the boar Hollow, seeing that two more Hollows had arrived. 'Maybe I spoke too soon.'

The pig Hollow stood to the side, on the other side now stood a hunched over Hollow. It felt about the same power-wise as the swine Hollow. It had two tentacles in place of its arms, a tentacle-like tail, and a red mane of hair coming from its head. Its mask looked to be made of two triangular jaw, and two eyes near where the red mane began.

However, Alex's attention mainly focused on the center Hollow. It had to be an Adjuchas from its spirit energy. It had human legs wrapped in white, while the torso was broad-shouldered. Its mask was skull-like, blue hair extending shortly from the back. However, what drew Alex's attention were its arms.

Both of its arms looked nothing like anything Alex could remember seeing, with a half-ring in the front of each.

The center one spoke, "Instant regeneration? Devouring you might give me a boost in strength." It turned toward the other two, preparing to say something. "Aldegor, Menis, you two attack first." The boar-like Hollow and the one with tentacle arms nodded, "Yes, Patros-sama!"

The one with a red main lashed out with its tentacles, while the other made a move to charge Alex. Leaping to the side, and away from the tentacles, Alex met the porcine Hollow's attack head on. But instead, Alex was far stronger, despite his smaller size, and dug his claws into the Hollow's hands.

Lifting its full body, he flung it at the tentacles one with surprising speed and accuracy. The two collided, making a small cloud of sand puff up. He didn't allow either of them to recover, however, as he dashed forward. He readied his clawed hand, preparing to strike the two regular Menos down in one hit.

They didn't expect him to be able to defeat them both at the same time, Alex wasn't completely sure he would, either. However, he ran past them, his razor-sharp claws cutting through each of the Hollows. Alex dug his legs' claws into the sand, slowing his speed down while making a u-turn to face this "Patros".

The blue haired Hollow gritted its teeth behind its mask, anger rising. Alex stared toward the defeated Hollows with disdain as they disappeared into spirit particles. However, Patros leapt toward the energy, wanting to consume it.

It received a kick to one of its arms instead. "Greedy bastard, aren't you Patros-san?" Patros turned its head toward Alex for his comment. Instead of shouting at the reptilian Hollow boy, it decided to charge its attack. Its left arm opened at the half-ring, charging what appeared to be a yellow Cero.

Alex blinked, "So that's what hit me, is it?" He heard a buzz of sound behind him, Patros using Sonido to get behind him. Alex balked, "Trying to attack my back again, you coward?" He got no response, in exchange, Patros fired the Cero.

The yellow energy attack flew forward, but Alex leapt to the side. But Patros had charged its right arm seconds after it released the Cero. This time, the energy attack, in the shape of a slashing blade striking upward, hit Alex, who was unable to dodge for a second time, in the shoulder.

He gasped in pain, a raspy intake of air. The attack had left a gash on his shoulder, but he could feel his instantaneous regeneration kicking in even as the pain died down. Patros seemed to expect him recovered, and charged forward with another yellow Cero gathering.

Alex snapped to attention from the pain the wound had given him, beginning to feel tired as he leapt to his left, attempting to make sure the attack wouldn't hit. He knew that, if the attack hit him, he would not be able to regenerate such a large portion of his body, nor would he want to feel the pain of such a wound.

The Cero, fully charged, rocketed toward him. Using his momentum from leaping to the side, he turned sharply on one clawed foot, while swiping toward Patros with his tail, rotating as far as he could.

Patros, recovering from using a fully charged Cero, didn't expect to have to defend itself again. Alex's tail caught Patros right behind the knees, knocking over the aged Adjuchas. With a thud, Patros landed in the sand painfully, Alex unknowingly putting enough power in his attack to break the blue-haired Adjuchas' legs.

Alex crouched down one leg, panting, tired from the fight. 'Damn it. I had to heal that gash to my shoulder, and that must have taken a lot more out of me than I thought,' he considered. He glanced over at Patros, where the older Hollow lay on the quickly bloodied sands.

Alex blinked, looking back at his tail, having not noticed that his tail had done so much damage. He had only meant to swipe the feet out from under the Hollow, but he had broken its legs instead. He sighed in relief, 'If I hadn't done that, I probably would have been killed by one of its full charged blasts.'

Patros glared with sickly yellow eyes at the young Hollow. "You…how are you so powerful!?" Alex stared at the blue-haired Adjuchas, his own eyes a bored orange. He began to walk over toward the now one-armed, broken-legged Hollow, his gait showing his fatigue. Once he was near his downed foe, he answered the question.

"It doesn't matter." The older Adjuchas gaped, "Doesn't matter! You young fool! Power is what rules this world. Power and hunger, whoever is powerful enough won't have their painful hunger! Others are ruled by their hunger and become powerful!"

Alex quirked his head to one side, "Really? Power and hunger is what rules this area? Whoever made those rules is an idiot!" He spat out this last phrase with a lot of contempt. "That empty gluttony...it is useless to me. I don't have any hunger at all! Fine, I'll become powerful, so I can defend and protect myself. And if I gain allies, I'll protect and defend them just as much!"

Patros began to dissolve from the wounds within its legs. "You are a piss-poor idiot, boy! Protect others!? I used those two others to gain power, that's all that allies are for! You can't trust anyone but yourself. That is the way Hollows are supposed to act! What we are! In this existence as Hollows, that is what we are supposed to be, how it is supposed to be!"

Alex hissed out in anger, his tail thrashing behind him, "That's how it is supposed to be!? You call me a fool? You, Patros, are a fool. Power is important, yes. I agree." His orange eyes shown much brighter behind his mask, and he slammed his right hand down around the other Hollow's throat. The other Hollow gagged by the force, and glared back, even as the sickly yellow eyes grew dim.

Raising up Patros to look the much older Adjuchas in the eyes, Alex glared balefully, "I, however, want companionship. After all, what is power and wealth without others that you can trust and enjoy existence with? Existence without others to be around is like this barren desert." Patros' torso had begun to dissolve into spirit particles by now, but Alex was not done.

Even as Patros began to dissappear, Alex finished his diatribe toward the other Hollow. "I do not wish to exist if I cannot have companions. If I have a goal now, it is to find others that I can share this existence, however dark a Hollow's existence may be." He tossed Patros down into the bleached-white sands of Hueco Mundo, and stalked off.

Patros' existence ended seconds after the young, reptilian Hollow departed. It did not reflect on the words of the younger Hollow at all. Patros didn't care about anyone but himself. However, even as the orange-eyed Hollow made his way across the sands, his statement would become a reality in his existence.

But Alex, now having walked off into the dunes of Hueco Mundo for miles, knew he needed to find someplace that would offer him rest. His fight had taken more than he had thought out of him, and he began to his limbs begin to get heavy. His tail began dragging in the sands, and he crouched further, trying to continue his trek.

As he continued moving, Alex felt himself begin to lose consciousness. 'I...can't let myself be vulnerable. I'm not done yet, and I don't want to be devoured...but...tired...can't keep walking.' As he made his way down a sand dune, he crumpled down, his body rolling down the dune. His eyes were not closed yet, even though his vision was blurring as he struggled to retain consciousness.

Even as he faded into unconsciousness, Alex felt a presence approaching him. As his eyes closed from his own physical weakness, he heard the movement along the sand near him. Just as his eyes completely closed, he could make out a feminine, serpentine slithering closer to him. Then all was a haze of black.

AN: I'm taking the liberty to believe that all Adjuchas level Hollows have a pretty good knowledge of their own kind, though, not everything.

Yes, I used the Patros Trio. They are cannon fodder in canon, and I never liked their designs anyway. "Desierto" means "desert" in Spanish.

Next time on Bleach: Alabaster Remix!

"Hollow Daze Part Two -- Oasis"

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	3. Chapter 3: Hollow Daze Part Two Oasis

AN: Now here's chapter three.

Grinja, Yonda and other readers/reviewers: Adjuchas level Hollows are supposed to be more intelligent and skilled, more so than normal Hollows and Gillians. Since Alex went from a Plus and then almost immediately to an Adjuchas level Hollow...well, I think you can slightly understand.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. Tite Kubo-sempai does, though.

Chapter Three: Hollow Daze Part Two – Oasis

The first thing that he could perceive was that he heard voices, muttering not clear enough to understand any of the words, but definitely voices. Alex let out a nearly inaudible groan, his mind a muddled haze. He could feel the weight of his body, and the fact that he was laid on his side on a cool rock. The voices began to become clearer as he slowly regained consciousness. He heard the voice of a female Hollow who sounded like she was about his own age.

"...could be one of Barragan's lackeys. We know how often he tries to send his men to attack us!" A pause in the conversation, and Alex could nearly feel the gaze of a much stronger Hollow on him. A mature, cultured female voice responded, "No, this one doesn't have Barragan's spirit energy clinging to him at all. Normally, the arrogant old fool makes sure to have his spirit energy dormant around his followers."

Another voice commented, softer than the first and younger than the second, "I found him unconscious, and it looked as though he had rolled down the dune. He must have been very tired, or a new Adjuchas." The same mature female spoke, "That is more likely, Sun-Sun." Alex heard footsteps; one of the speakers was walking toward him now. They were light, but powerful.

Harribel stared at the reptilian Hollow, 'What is it inside this one that holds so much power? In spirit energy, he is not close to my level, but…' "You are conscious now, young Adjuchas?" If he had been able to move, he would have jumped up in shock. 'How did she know I was?'

"Any being with spiritual energy, when unconscious or asleep, gives off a much more calm and fluid amount of energy, however little." He felt a hand on his shoulder, "You are still tired. I can tell that you are tired from a battle and a long journey. Rest…" The command given, he could feel a cool, calming spirit energy flow a little bit through his own, and felt his body relax.

Harribel stared at the lizard-like Adjuchas, and turned to her three companions. Standing up, she stated, "Do you know what pains me about seeing a young Hollow, girls?" All three blinked behind their masks, and shook their heads. "It is because the existence we Hollows have is full of sorrow. This boy…" She glanced back over to Alex's sleeping form, "…he has only been a Hollow for only a week at most."

Her navy-haired, deer-like follower, Apache, gaped, "What!? Harribel-sama, how is that possible? We know that for us, we've been Hollows for years, though not over thirty years, like you." Harribel nodded, her sleek form moving to a gray rock, the same type that Alex was sleeping on. "Yes, that is true. However, you three need to know that some have potential at the beginning of their existence. I myself remember going from a regular Menos to an Adjuchas within a year. You three took about twenty months to gain Adjuchas level. However, there is one possibility…however unheard of as it may seem."

Sun-Sun spoke up, her glowing pink-gray eyes glancing to the young Hollow she had rescued, "What would that be, Harribel-sama?" Harribel turned to her serpentine companion, "The only possibility that I know, that would allow a Plus to go directly to a level above Gillian, would be if one of the parents was a Shinigami." All three gaped now, and none of them were sure what to say, only staring at the reptilian Hollow boy with a different, inquisitive look.

Although time is not easily measured within Hueco Mundo, Alex awoke from his now peaceful slumber after about a whole day. His body did not feel as though it weighed more than normal anymore and his spirit energy was fully recovered as well. He opened his eyes, and moved his body so that he was in a sitting position, making sure to move his tail to one side.

He then decided to take a look around to get a feel for his surroundings. He was in what looked like smaller section of a cave, the walls formed from a stony white material. There were other rocks like the one he was laying on placed around the room, all a gray color.

Pushing himself forward, he leaped to the ground, which seemed littered with sand, though there were parts on the ground where it was only stone. He landed on the ground with a softened click from the sand covering some rock, and crouched down again to the floor, getting down on all fours. His tail slowly swayed behind him as he moved along, as if keeping time to some unknown tune.

When he got out of the area he had been in, Alex slinked forward, still wary in case the female Hollows were more hostile than they had seemed to sound. 'I wonder where they are, though?' he thought. He jumped in shock when he heard a single set of footsteps making their way toward him. He turned, and a very feminine figure made her way into his line of sight.

She was **very** humanoid, marking her as a Vasto Lorde. She was covered in a mix of white armor with black areas that seemed to be for better movement, not hindered for her light, but probably very tough, armor. A theme of shark-like features were apparent, notably in her mask, which covered just the front of her face and a bit of the sides, but allowed blonde hair falling to her shoulders.

On her forearms were sharp fins that stretched to reach a little bit past her elbow, sleek and aerodynamic, like the rest of her form. From her shoulder blades, he could see two extensions coming off like a set of long flippers. However, within his now older body, he blushed from within his mask, seeing how voluptuous her breasts were, and how alluring her form made her to his eyes. 'Beautiful…'

Her beautiful aquamarine eyes looked into his sharp orange ones, "Greetings, little Adjuchas. One of my subordinates found you exhausted out in the sands, may I ask what your name is?" Her voice sounded out like ripples along a peaceful lake, but also held a dangerous depth, especially as she let out a 'small' amount of spirit energy. He quickly replied, "My name, for what it is, is Alex." She nodded, while looking him over, "Do you remember how you became an Adjuchas?" He blinked, but nodded in confirmation to her question.

'As I thought, most Hollows don't remember anything besides bits and pieces of their time here in Hueco Mundo, except when it comes to enemies they have made,' were her thoughts. She motioned for him to follow, which he accented to do. "My name is Harribel Tia, Alex. I have one question for you, though. Did you go through any other form of Hollow before you became how you are?" His orange eyes widened within his pools of darkness.

She smirked under her mask, her aqua eyes sparkling with mirth. "I shall take that as a yes, then." They continued to walk at a leisurely pace, and Alex chose to ask his own question. "Why does that matter, Harribel-san?" She kept her smirk under her mask, and answered, "Did you know that there is only one way for a Plus to go directly into an Adjuchas level Hollow?" He shook his head, "I didn't think anything of it…I didn't know if I had just lost the memories or something else had happened..."

She nodded, as they made their way down the tunnels of her abode. "I thought as much. The one reason that a Plus could be able to go immediately into Adjuchas level is simple: Because one of their parents was a regular Plus while the other one was a Shinigami." He quickly turned toward the luscious Vasto Lorde, "What!?" 'I…' His mind flashed with static-filled memories of his family. His father's face flashed into memory, bringing a sudden anger filled with the bitter resent of betrayal. 'He could have saved her, should have saved her! Kaa-chan…'

Harribel glanced over at the young Hollow, who had paused in his tracks, 'I see he has an idea of who it was, but why the feeling of betrayal?' She put her hand on his shoulder, and he turned his orange eyes toward her, his orbs showing a mix of sorrow and rage. He shook his head, and then continued moving forward, "Harribel-san…Shinigami are truly despicable, aren't they?" She nodded, "Yes, there are many that are that, Alex..." In her mind, images of black-clad reapers echoed, she fell silent for a moment.

She spoke up again as she judged his personality, seeing that he had the mind of a boy just entering manhood. She queried, "Alex-san, I feel that I would do you a disservice if I didn't at least offer you companionship. What would you say to that?" He looked into her aquamarine eyes, orange eyes shining with interest as they moved to another cave.

His eyes widened at the sight before him, and not only the scenery. They had arrived in a large section of the cavern, more than likely the most expansive. There was a large pool of water with a small waterfall pouring its contents into it. The pool was clearer than any water that Alex could remembers seeing in his existence. The gray floor was dust free, and the water gave off a glow obviously from spiritual energy. Scanning the water thoroughly, he could tell that it was Harribel's energy.

His eyes were more drawn, though, to the three female Adjuchas-level Hollow sparring. The group was comprised of a Lion-like, a Deer-like, and a Snake-like trio. The three turned from their collective grappling to look over to their leader and the reptilian adjuchas that Sun-Sun had saved. Soon the three were before their leader, after having some difficulty getting untangled from their wrestling because of Sun-Sun's coils and Mila-Rose's mane.

As Alex stood next to Harribel she nodded to each of her three followers in turn, naming them. "Apache, Mila-Rose, and Sun-Sun; Sun-Sun was the one who brought you to me." He focused his attention on the serpentine Hollow, which she did in turn. She brought her coils around him, wrapping herself around him lightly. Pink-gray eyes shining with mischief as she brought her torso to bear with his own, Sun-Sun gave him her greeting, "Welcome, Alex, to Harribel-sama's , and our own, Oasis." He smirked from behind his mask at the serpentine beauty, staring into her eyes with his orange ones. 'Her Oasis, huh? I think…I've found my people to protect.'

AN: To those who seem to be bothered by the name change and think I am making my own OC: Hollows and Arrancar, mostly, have names that are more of as in _English_, _Chinese_, _Spanish_, _German_, and so many other lingual varieties, none of them having a truly Japanese name.

I may not be an expert, but I do know that "Alex" comes from the Ancient Greek word for "Protector" or "Guardian". Look at the name "Alexander" which literally means "Protector of Men". Pretty much all that I did was change "Ichigo" into the western name which I believed would match the other Arrancar names. Think about it that way.

On the basis of the OC part for Alex (Ichigo): this isn't canon, this is…FANFICTION! *insert evil, diabolical laughter*...*cough* One of the main things in Fanfics is to change the story's plot and/or characters, don't you all know that?

Next time on Bleach: Alabaster Remix

"Chapter Four: Hollow Daze Part Three - Proposiciȏn"

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	4. Chapter 4: Hollow Daze Part Three Propos

A.N.: Finally, here is chapter four of Bleach Alabaster Remix. Sorry for the delay, I had High School Graduation stuff going on for the last, oh, maybe two or three weeks. And so, I can say now that I am through with High School.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. Tite Kubo-sempai does, though.

Chapter Four: Hollow Daze Part Three – Proposición

Days passed, weeks turned into months. Quickly three years passed by for Alex and his new allies, his new _nakama_. Within the first few months of being with Harribel and her three followers, he had found himself enjoying their company.

Unsurprisingly, he spent most of his time with Sun-Sun. Though he got along well with Apache and Mila-Rose, Sun-Sun was his closest companion among the quartet. All of them followed Harribel with adoration and no small amount of reverence for the beautiful, shark-like Vasto Lorde.

As time passed by, Harribel began teaching him. She taught him the generic Hollow abilities of _cero_ and the less common _bala_. She taught all of them how to fight effectively alongside each other, but also how to fight when alone. She taught them how to exploit weaknesses and how to make up for their own.

For Alex, his greatest weakness that Harribel had noted was that of physical strength. While he could make up for this by making so many consecutive hits, he had to wear an opponent down before he could land just a single killing blow. However, he also found that he could easily withstand any form of physical damage due to his regenerative abilities.

Because of this, Alex had trained mercilessly with his fellow Hollows so that he could become more skilled in his areas of expertise. When sparring, he usually went up against Mila-Rose, since she was the second strongest in physical strength among their group, next to Harribel, who refrained from joining the sparring matches the others of her group had.

As for living quarter arrangement, Harribel had insisted that they all still use the same section of their oasis. She had also designated Alex and Sun-Sun as bed-mates, since the rock Sun-Sun had used, and Alex had recovered on, gathered heat and light from Hueco Mundo's ever-present crescent moon. Being reptilian in nature and literally being cold-blooded, both needed the warmth.

"But Harribel-sama, I can go without the warmth if I need to!" Alex quickly rejected the idea, mixed from his prudish attitude and his respect for his fellow Hollow. Sun-Sun covered her mask's mouth with a clawed hand, curling her coils up around her. Alex, crouched down as usual with his tail swishing erratically out of embarrassment more than irritation, blushed underneath his mask. If one could see it, his blush would have stretched fully cross the bridge of his nose.

Harribel enjoyed seeing him embarrassed, if only because Alex did care about all of them, but had an obvious crush on both herself and Sun-Sun. It wasn't that he didn't find Mila-Rose or Apache unattractive, and Harribel knew that all four of them had a crush on her. "Alex," Harribel calmly addressed him, "I would have all of you as comfortable as possible when you rest. As I've told you, rest is essential to being able to train or fight."

She continued, "I understand that you do not feel comfortable with taking away her 'space', but this is not a major issue. I'm sure that Sun-Sun has no problem with you doing so." This time, it was Sun-Sun's turn to blush at her superior's words, while Apache and Mila-Rose sat on the sideline thinking the whole 'conflict' was hilarious. The lioness and doe Adjuchas knew what the outcome would be: Alex _would_ be sharing the 'bed' with Sun-Sun, if only because Harribel told him to put aside his prudish leanings. Eventually, after about two days worth of Harribel talking to him, Alex relented, though still feeling quite embarrassed.

About a week after this incident, Harribel had begun to feel a disturbance in her _Niebla_. With her abilities in manipulating water, she had learned how to spread a mist over a large portion of her territory of Hueco Mundo. This mist, which she had named _N__iebla_ (Spanish for "mist", Japanese for "Realm of Mist"), allowed her to scan for any Hollows, _Shinigami_, or Pluses within her domain. Through this, she had sensed a powerful trio of _Shinigami_ headed to Barragan's own territory.

She could tell that all three of them were Captains, if not by their attire then by the strength of their spiritual energy. She had heard rumors from Starrk a few days prior to sensing them. Though Starrk and Lilynette's spiritual energy was deadly to most Hollows, Harribel was able to meet with them to relay information between them. From what they could gather, these _Shinigami_ were extremely powerful, but their intentions were entirely unknown.

She had informed her four followers of the possible danger, which led to Apache over-reacting, Mila-Rose taunting her, Apache reacting again to Mila-Rose's comment, and Alex and Sun-Sun making a light, sarcastic comment toward the two. After their banter ended, Harribel addressed them again, "We need to be prepared, especially since they have at least the spiritual energy level of a _Shinigami_ captain of Soul Society."

Even with the spiritual energy of a Vasto Lorde, Harribel required rest, which meant her _Niebla_ lay dormant when she did. As such, her four followers spent their time in shifts, making sure to sense any spiritual energy near their oasis. After a full week, they had easily sensed some sort of massacre happen in the direction of Barragan's "Las Noches" area. Not an easy feat in and of itself, but it was definitely a sign that whatever the three _Shinigami_ wanted, they were not to be underestimated.

Three days went by since that time, Alex becoming more restless with the continued "calm before the storm" atmosphere that crept up on them. While he tried to keep his cool about it, Apache and Mila-Rose were less reserved about their distress, and were visibly frazzled, Apache's hair standing on end and Mila-Rose's mane looking as though she had gotten shocked, repeatedly, by a Van de Graaff generator.

On the fourth day after feeling Barragan's area change, Harribel sensed the three _Shinigami_ on their doorstep. Well, in reality, it was really just the main entrance to their labyrinth of caves that could lead to their oasis. However, she deemed them a definite threat to herself and her four followers. With practiced ease, she sped into the sleeping quarters with fluid steps, finding her followers still asleep, blissfully aware. If not for the emergency at hand, she would have left them alone.

Mila-Rose was sprawled out on her rock, mane still frazzled. Apache was curled up on her own, peaceful in sleep. Looking over at the lighted 'bed', Sun-Sun had her coils around Alex's waist and they were chest to chest as they rested, Sun-Sun nuzzling her head into his shoulder. With a quick burst of cold water at Apache and Mila-Rose and a warm blast of water at the sleeping Alex and Sun-Sun, she awoke her four followers.

Spluttering a bit after their wake up call, the four Adjuchas quickly went kneeling to their mistress' side or the equivalent in Sun-Sun's case. Harribel stated abruptly and with all manners of a warrior queen, "The three _Shinigami_ are within the labyrinth leading here. Be on your guard; do not allow them to 'purify' you." Here her voice inflected "purify" as if she were trying to get an extremely foul taste from her mouth.

Her aquamarine eyes staring at each of them in turn, Harribel finished her orders. "I will flood certain pathways that those _Shinigami_ Captains may try to use. This most likely will not deter them from whatever it is that they have planned; be wary." With that command, the five of them made their way to the main cave, where Harribel's largest spring was held and where they usually sparred. Harribel walked into the center of the spring of water, wading in until it was covering her whole form. She spread her arms out on either side and pushed all the water within the labyrinth to cover the floor of the pathways.

Aizen, Tousen, and Gin stared at their feet as water began to rush down the path that they had taken. Knowing the Vasto Lorde Harribel would sense them and be prepared brought a slight smirk to Aizen's face, but he nodded to his two comrades, and they used _shunpo_ to rush forward through the cavernous trails. Quickly as they could, which was considerably faster than most _Shinigami_, the trio of traitorous Captains began to close in on Harribel and her four followers.

With Harribel and company, the spring's water level had gone down enough that it only reached Harribel's just above her waist, but all throughout her cave system, the water level rose high enough to deter most intruders. Apache stood in front of Harribel, Alex and Sun-Sun to either side of her, and Mila-Rose behind her; all of them standing just a foot away from the water's edge. All of them were in a stance ready to attack, crouching and ready to fight.

Alex's tail was twitching and swishing through the air erratically, Apache shuffled her hoofed feet from side to side, and Sun-Sun was coiled to strike at any enemy at any time. Mila-Rose, though frazzled, was a bit less tense than her comrades, if only in outside appearance. Harribel stood in the center of her companions, aquamarine eyes closed, concentrating on feeling where the three _Shinigami_ were within her realm.

Within a second, three static jolts came from one of the entrances into the cavern, signaling the arrival of the _shinigami_. Aizen in front with Tousen and Gin following behind, Gin reminisced that this was the same formation that they usually walked around in when in Hueco Mundo. Harribel noted that they did not seem to be hostile, but remained on edge. She inquired, with no small amount of disdain left from her voice, "What business would three _shinigami_ captains have with my companions and I? Having felt some of what happened to Barragan."

Aizen raised an eyebrow, but nodded. He spoke, with an obvious flair inflected, "My name is Aizen Sosuke, and these are my companions: Tousen Kaname and Gin Ichimaru. I would like to extend an invitation to you, Vasto Lorde: Tia Harribel." Behind her mask, Harribel had a blonde eyebrow rise as well. "It would seem that you have done your research _shinigami_." Her followers tensed at Aizen's knowledge of their leader's full name, but noted that Harribel had yet to tell them to attack.

Both Aizen and Gin looked at the four followers of the Vasto Lorde in turn, and Aizen commented. "I see that you have taken strong Adjuchas as your followers, highly respectable." Aquamarine eyes met hazel, and Harribel tersely prompted, "_Shinigami_, I have little patience with your kind, speak your piece before I decide to destroy you from the inside out (1)." Aizen chuckled, "Of course, of course. I understand. I will get straight to the point…"

With a change in mood almost as quick as he arrived, Aizen continued. "I am forming an army of Arrancar with a goal of mine being the destruction of the status quo. I would like to invite you are your companions to join me in this quest." Harribel nodded slowly, 'Arrancar…' Harribel turned to her followers, "What do you think, Apache, Alex, Mila-Rose, Sun-Sun?"

Apache and Mila-Rose nodded to the idea, while Sun-Sun held her peace about it. However, Alex turned his orange eyes to the shinigami in front of them, then back to his mistress. "I…do not want to follow any _shinigami_, Harribel-sama…" He hissed out the accursed name of shinigami, remembering his mother, and the lack of help she and he received. However, he continued, "…but, if you wish to join in this man's cause, it _does_ have merit. I will follow you whatever decision you make, Harribel-sama." He concluded his statement, blushing a bit at how fervent he was in his speech.

Harribel turned away from her embarrassed follower, "Very well then. Aizen Sosuke, I accept your offer. I will join your cause to break the status quo between _shinigami_ and Hollows." The brown haired manipulator smiled amicably, and made a short bow to the female Vasto Lorde. "I thank you, Harribel Tia, welcome to the ranks of my army; I hope that this proposition will be beneficial to both of us…"

**Is this a deal with the devil? What lies ahead for Harribel and her followers?**

A.N.: Proposicion literally means proposition, offer, or treaty. I think, and hope, that you understand why this chapter is named what it is.

(1) Harribel is referencing her vast control over water, even in spirit form. Some might disagree, but I feel that Human Shinigami are likely made of the same amount of water as living humans (exception being Mayuri Kurotsuchi, who knows what all the hell he's done to his body). With her powers, she could easily freeze or boil the water in a body, dehydrate, or a whole lot of other ways to kill a Human Shinigami opponent. This is not canon, but I feel it plausible.

**Niebla** (_Niebura_; Spanish for "mist", Japanese for "Realm of Mist"): Harribel spreads a mist of water filled with her spiritual energy over a large area. This mist allows her to scan the area for any Hollows, Shinigami, Pluses, or any other form of Spiritual Being. "Realm" is a reference to Harribel being the "Imperial Shark Empress".

And, YES, there will continue to be Alex (Ichigo)/Sun-Sun FLUFF! It will not be overwhelming, but there will be fluff. I may or may not do lemons…But the relationship will be pretty obvious, as will be Alex, Sun-Sun, Mila-Rose, and Apache's heavy crush on Harribel.

REVIEW! Since I'm done with high school, I can focus more on my stories for a while.


	5. Interlude 01

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. Tite Kubo-sempai does, though.

Interlude One: Rebellion

I am a Hollow, you say.  
I am an Arrancar, you say.  
You say this makes me the enemy.

The enemy, me!  
You are a Shinigami, I say.  
You were my Father, I say.  
I say that makes you the enemy.

I said goodbye to those Halcyon Days.  
When Mother was killed.  
When you, Father, didn't save her.  
When I became a Hollow.  
When I gained friends in Hueco Mundo.  
When I became an Arrancar.

You said goodbye to those Halcyon Days.  
When you wife died.  
When I died, turned into a Hollow, and then became an Arrancar.  
When you didn't save your wife, my mother.

Let us put an end to this debate, Father.  
Take up your Zanpakuto, Father.  
No. You are not my Father.  
Not any longer.

I take up my Zanpakuto.  
I shall fight and defy you, Shinigami.  
I defy your "Rule".  
I defy your "Law".  
I defy you, Shinigami.

Now, I shall show you, Shinigami.  
I shall show you, Isshin Kurosaki.  
Father of this one who was Ichigo Kurosaki.  
I shall show you now, My Resureccion.

Draw your Zanpakuto, Shinigami!

...

Rebel, Lagarto (Lagaruto; Spanish for "Lizard", Japanese for "Orange Lizard Prince")!

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A.N.: This is a preview of what is to come, of Alex and Isshin's confrontation.


	6. Interlude 02

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. Tite Kubo-sempai does, though.

Interlude Two: Senken Ashura to Hebi no Hime

You were his friend.  
You knew him,  
Before his mother died.

Yes, I _knew_ him.  
As a child who cried,  
As a son who loved,  
As a brother who loved,  
As a friend.

Really?  
I know him,  
As a fellow Hollow,  
As a fellow Arrancar  
As a comrade in arms,  
As a friend,  
As a **lover**…

…_Are you trying to piss me off, Arrancar_?

…You _just_ noticed?  
And here Alex had stated,  
You were one of his best friends.  
He truly was such a naive child.

…I'm really tired of your voice.  
My name is Tatsuki Arisawa,  
Substitute Shinigami.

Tired of my voice?  
Very well.  
I shall give you my name, as well.  
Sun-Sun, Fraccion to the Third Espada,  
Tia Harribel-sama.

Bankai, Senken Ashura ("One-Thousand Fist Ashura")!

Constrict, Anaconda (Japanese for "White Snake Princess")…

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A.N.: "One-Thousand Fists Ashura and Princess of Snakes"

This is a possible outline of the conversation that Tatsuki and Sun-Sun. One of the main things that you will notice is the "Senken Ashura" part. Yes, that is the name of her Bankai in this fic, her Shikai being "Juuken (Ten-Fists)". I'll let you, my readers, think about what they look like. But…I'm full of surprises!


	7. Interlude 03: Youkai Gakuen One

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. Tite Kubo-sempai does, though.

Interlude Three: Youkai Gakuen 01

"So, Harribel-sama, can you tell me…_why the hell_ are we headed off to a high school, again?" Apache bluntly questioned her mistress, as the sextet (1) was arriving at Youkai Gakuen on a bus. All six members of the group wore their usual clothing and those with mask fragments had them visible.

Harribel replied calmly to her edgy subordinate, "Because Aizen sees the value in allies and wants us to see if there are any 'monsters' who want to join our cause (2). And while all of us are intelligent, we do not have a 'proper' education." Apache and Mila-Rose nodded as a tick-mark started pulsing on both of their forehead, before shouting and pointing accusingly at the sixth member of the group.

"But why the hell is *he* tagging along!" The duo cried in unison. In the seat behind where Alex and Sun-Sun were napping side-by-side and directly across from where Harribel was seated by herself, Gin was lounged out and resting, but not asleep. Upon hearing the duo's shout, Gin turned to Apache and Mila-Rose, smiling a little bit wider than usual.

"Well, Aizen-taicho said you'd need another chaperon for the trip, so I decided to 'tag along' (3).~ Would you rather have Tousen tagging along?" The pair looked at each other for only a moment before stating in deadpan: "No." Gin nodded smugly at this.

The four awake, Hueco Mundo residents were drawn out of the tail-end of this conversation by the eerie Bus Driver, who addressed Harribel, "We are about to pass through the barrier, then we just have about two or three minutes 'til we reach campus. Please make sure that all of you are awake, Harribel-san."

Harribel nodded in thanks for the update, and glanced at Gin. "Would you like me to wake them? Or do you want the honor, Gin-san?" The fox-faced shinigami tapped his chin with a finger in thought, but shook his head, "Nah, Harribel, you go ahead and wake them. I don't want them jumping out of their skins right now. And I *always* enjoy how you wake your cute little Fraccion.~"

With that Harribel got up from her seat and move over to the sleeping pair, and quickly gathered water above their heads, just enough to get their heads and hair wet, but not ruin or drench their clothes. With only a slight movement downward of her hand, she let the accumulated water fall on the duo.

Sputtering and cursing lightly, the lovers shook themselves and rubbed their eyes to clear their vision. They turned to each other, for a second they had looked both annoyed and amused, before they glanced over at the other four members of their group. Sun-sun whispered something to Alex, which caused him to blush lightly, and he replied to her just as quietly.

While this was a normal occurrence between the two, it usually meant that the lovers were planning on doing or saying *something* embarrassing. Without further discussion, they directed their full attention on Harribel, who was slightly unnerved by the twinkle present in the lovers' eyes.

"Neh, Sun-sun, you know of course what this means?" Sun-sun nodded and returned, "That Harribel-sama gets us both wet?" He replied, "Exactly." Harribel nearly face-palmed at the corny innuendo but her companions didn't restrain themselves from reacting. The Bus Driver and Gin chuckled at this, while Mila-Rose and Apacci sighed, "Fools in love…"

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A.N.: Yes, there will be some crossover chapters with a few series, but not that many. XD

(1) You are allowed to laugh or giggle.

(2) Translation: "Aizen likes cannon-fodder and wants more."

(3) *understood* "…for shits and giggles."


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